Control box with door and cooler

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a control box with a box body which can be closed off by a door and a cooler with an inner circuit consisting of a ventilator and an evaporator, and an outer circuit consisting of a compressor, a condenser and a ventilator. An air-conditioning door which can easily by used for both types of operation is provided by a novel casing construction and an appropriate distribution of the modules of the inner and outer circuits of the cooler.

RELATED APPLICATION AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of PCT Application No. PCT/EP97/00658having an international filing date of Feb. 13, 1997, which designatesat least one country in addition to the United States and which claimspriority from German Application No. 196 09 794 filed Mar. 13 1996. Forpriority purposes, this application claims the benefit of 35 USC 371and/or 35 USC 120.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a switch cabinet in general and a switchcabinet employing a cooling device in particular.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known that a cooling device instead of a wall can be attached to acabinet body. Such a design of a switch cabinet is known from U.S. Pat.No. 3,559,728. With these types of switch cabinets the cooling devicefeatures a tub-shaped housing outer part that is subdivided into twochambers. Each of the chambers receives cooling device components of thecooling circuit. The first chamber makes ambient contact, while thesecond chamber faces the inner space of the switch cabinet.

A cooling device that is designed as a wall element is known from FR 7005704. As such, it projects into the inner space and thereby diminishesthe volume available for built-in components of the switch cabinet.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a switch cabinet thatovercomes the shortcomings of the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch cabinet having acooling device capable of being connected to the cabinet body like acabinet door.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a switch cabinethaving a cooling device capable of being connected to the cabinet bodyas a door having either a left or right hinge. How these and otherobjects are accomplished will become apparent from the followingdescriptions and from the drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention involves an improvement to a switch cabinet having acabinet body that capable of being closed by a cabinet door. Suchcooling device includes an inner circuit having a fan and a vaporizerand an outer circuit having a compressor, a condenser and a fan. Thecooling device is provided with a tub-shaped outer housing part thatconnects to, articulates on and closes the cabinet body. Such outerhousing is provided with a covering carrier plate such that the spacesurrounded by the outer housing part and the carrier plate forms anupper and a lower receiving space. The carrier plate features airsuction openings in the area of the upper receiving space and an airoutlet opening for the lower receiving space.

The improvement involves the cooling device which is designed as acabinet door, in that the cooling device components of the inner circuitare arranged in the upper receiving space which is open toward the top,fastened to the carrier plate and hermetically covered, while thecooling device components of the outer circuit are arranged in the lowerreceiving space that is open toward the bottom and connected to thecarrier plate. In such an arrangement, fresh air for the outer circuitis drawn through the open lower side of the lower receiving space, overthe cooling device components of the outer circuit and into the lowerarea of the upper receiving space where it is conducted off at the openside of the upper receiving space.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing outer partpractically replaces the cabinet door and, as such, is attached to thecabinet body. In such an embodiment, the carrier plate bears all of thecomponents of the cooling device and is thus capable of being connectedto the housing outer part in such a manner so as to allow arrangement ofthe components of the cooling device independent of the positioning ofthe cooling device.

As a result of the subdivision of the cooling device into an upper and alower receiving space and the distribution of the inner and outercircuit components within such spaces, the hermetic covering of thecomponents of the inner circuit creates a definite decoupling of the twocircuits thus preventing condensation water from reaching the inside ofthe cabient body. The design of the cooling device is simple in that thecomponents are all capable of being fastened to the carrier plate.

In one embodiment of the invention, the hermetic covering of thecomponents of the inner circuit is achieved in that the cooling devicecomponents of the inner circuit are covered by means of a covering hoodthat connects to the side of the carrier plate that faces away from theinner space of the cabinet.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the housing outer part issubdivided by a first and a second separating sheet, such as sheetmetal, into a first and a second ventilation chamber. Such housing outerpart and ventilation chambers are further subdivided by a separatingwall into an upper and lower receiving space. The first and secondseparating sheets of the ventilation chambers features air inletperforations in the upper receiving space, and air outlet perforationsin the lower receiving space thereby allowing the conduction of air fromthe outer circuit to take place through both receiving spaces.

In one embodiment, attachment of the carrier plate to the housing outerpart is achieved in that the ventilation chambers feature fasteningsections parallel to the carrier plate. Such fastening sections areprovided with attachment uptakes which allow the carrier plate to befastened in two positions rotated 180 degrees from each other. Thedistribution and arrangement of the fastening uptakes thereby takes bothtypes of positioning of the cooling device into consideration. Thehousing outer part can articulate with the cabinet body in positionsrotated by 180 degrees. The carrier plate can always be connected to thehousing outer part such that the uptake space with the inner circuit ison top.

According to one of the preferred embodiments of the invention, thehousing outer part features a trapezoidally shaped cross section, andthe ventilation chambers are subdivided therein include a right angled,triangular shaped cross section. The trapezoidal shape of the housingouter part provides a visually attractive design of the switch cabinetwhile the ventilation chambers reinforce the housing outer part.

The invention is explained in more detail on the basis of an exemplifiedembodiment illustrated in the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a perspective view showing a partial section of the switchcabinet with the cooling device articulated on the cabinet body in theopen position.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of the plan, top and end views of the coolingdevice showing the distribution and arrangement of the components of thecooling device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1 only the part of the front side of the cabinet body 10 ontowhich the cooling device is articulated like a cabinet door is shown.The cooling device features a tub-like housing outer part 20 with atrapezoidally shaped cross section that completes the outer contour ofthe switch cabinet when in the closed position. The articulation andclosing of the housing outer part 20 on the cabinet body takes place ina manner known in and of itself, with known hinge and locking elements.Because such hinge and locking elements are not significant to thepresent invention, details concerning their construction will not bediscussed here. Also, these elements are not illustrated in thedrawings.

The open side of the housing outer part 20 that faces the inner space ofthe switch cabinet is closed off by means of a carrier plate 30. Thiscarrier plate 30, along with the housing outer part 20, includes a spacethat forms an upper receiving space 25 and a lower receiving space 27.The subdivision is preferably carried out at approximately half theheight of the cooling device that is used as a cabinet door.

The upper receiving space 25 is open toward the top, and the lowerreceiving space 27 is open toward the bottom. The air suction openings31 and, the air suction openings 32 of the inner circuit are provided inthe area of the upper receiving space 25. The components of the innercircuit of the cooling device, a fan 40 and a vaporizer 41 are arrangedand fastened on the side of the carrier plate 30 facing away from theinner space of the switch cabinet. These components are hermeticallycovered with a covering hood 42, as is shown in FIG. 2. Such arrangementallows the warm air to be drawn out of the switch cabinet by means offan 40, through the air suction opening 31, and led over vaporizer 41and, when cooled, returned to the switch cabinet through air outletopening 32.

The components of the outer circuit, a compressor 50, a condenser 51 anda fan 52 are arranged and fastened to the carrier plate 30 in the lowerreceiving space 27.

The fan 52 of the outer circuit draws fresh air into the lower receivingspace 27. Ventilation chambers 21 and 22 are subdivided in the area ofthe vertical sides of the housing outer part 20 by means of separatingsheet metal 23 and 24, said ventilation chambers being appropriatelysubdivided by means of separating walls 26 to correspond to the upperand lower receiving spaces 25 and 27.

In such an arrangement, the drawn fresh air stream 33 not only extendsinto the lower receiving space 27, but also into the lower parts of theventilation chambers 21 and 22. These partial streams enter into thelower receiving space 27 through the air outlet perforations 28. Thefresh air flow 33 streams over the components 50, 51 and 52 of the outercircuit in the lower receiving space 27. The fan 52 of the outer circuitleads the fresh air stream into the upper receiving space 25 and intothe ventilation chambers 21 and 22 through the air inlet perforations29, as is shown by arrows 34 and 35. The stream of fresh air exits theupper receiving space 25 and the ventilation chambers 21 and 22 at theopen, upper sides, as is shown by the arrows 36. The ventilationchambers 21 and 22 are closed and have a right angled, triangular shapeor a pentagonal cross section. Sections of the ventilation chambers 21and 22 parallel to the carrier plate 30 serve as a fastening surface forthe carrier plate 30, whereby gasket elements can be used throughout asintermediate elements. Moreover, the carrier plate 30 allows for freeedge areas at the edges of the housing outer part 20, bearing thesealing elements that are required for sealing the cabinet body, orconstructed as sealing spacers that act in conjunction with sealingelements on the cabinet body 10.

The attachment surfaces for the carrier plate 30 are provided withfastening uptakes that permit the attachment of the carrier plate 30 tothe housing outer part 20 in two positions rotated by 180 degrees. Thehousing outer part 20 can then be articulated left or right on the openfront side of the cabinet body 10. The components 40 and 41 of the innercircuit and the components 50, 51 and 52 of the outer circuit canthereby always be used as shown in FIG. 1.

The progress of the fresh air in the outer circuit is shown, based onFIG. 1, in three sections or views perpendicular to each other. The fan52 is responsible for drawing fresh air 33 into the lower receivingspace 25 and the subdivided lower area of the ventilation chambers 21and 22. Part of the fresh air, drawn through the ventilation chambers 21and 22, flows across the air outlet perforation 28 of the separatingsheet metals 23 and 24 into the lower receiving spaces 27. After passingthe compressor 50 the fresh air is led over the vaporizer 51 and then,once warmed, passes through the remaining space of the upper receivingspace 25 not occupied by the covering hood 42, as is shown by arrow 34.A part of the warmed fresh air enters the upper part of the ventilationchambers 21 and 22 through the air inlet perforation 29, as is shown byarrows 34, so that the warmed fresh air can be exhausted on the openupper end of the upper receiving space 25 as well as on the upper end ofthe ventilation chamber 21 and 22.

While the principles of the invention have been shown and described inconnection with but a few embodiments, it is to be understood clearlythat such embodiments are by way of example and are not limiting.

What is claimed:
 1. In a switch cabinet comprised of a cabinet body thatincludes a cabinet door and a cooling device having an inner circuitthat includes a fan and a vaporizer and an outer circuit that includes acompressor, a condenser and a fan, wherein said cooling device isenclosed by a tub-shaped outer housing articulated on the cabinet body,and a carrier plate such that the space surrounded by the outer housingpart and the carrier plate forms an upper receiving space and a lowerreceiving space and said carrier plate has at least one air suctionopening in the upper receiving space area and an air outlet opening forthe inner circuit, the improvement comprised of:the cooling deviceserving as the cabinet door; the components of the inner circuit beinglocated in the upper receiving space and fastened to the carrier plate,said components being hermetically enclosed; the upper receiving spacehaving an open top; the cooling device components of the outer circuitlocated in the lower receiving space and connected to the carrier plate;and the lower receiving space having an opening at its bottom,wherebyfresh air for the outer circuit is drawn through the bottom of the lowerreceiving space over the cooling device components and into the upperreceiving space where it is discharged through the top of the upperreceiving space.
 2. The switch cabinet of claim 1 wherein:the carrierplate has a first side facing away from the switch cabinet and a secondside that faces toward the switch cabinet; the cooling device componentsof the inner circuit are covered with a covering hood; and the coveringhood is connected to the first side of the carrier plate.
 3. The switchcabinet of claim 1 wherein:a first separating sheet and a secondseparating sheet divide the outer housing part into a first and a secondventilation chamber; separating wall further subdivides the housingouter part and the first and the second ventilation chambers into anupper and a lower receiving spaces; and the first and the secondseparating sheets of the first and second ventilation chambers includesair inlet perforations in the upper receiving space and air outletperforations in the lower receiving space.
 4. The switch cabinetaccording to claim 3 wherein;the first and the second ventilationchambers include fastening sections parallel to the carrier plate; thefastening sections include fastening uptakes; and the carrier plate issecured to the fastening sections of the ventilation chambers by use ofthe fastening uptakes.
 5. The switch cabinet of claim 3 wherein:theouter housing part has a trapezoidal cross section; and the first andthe second ventilation chambers have a right angled triangular shapedcross section.
 6. The switch cabinet of claim 1 wherein the condenser ofthe outer circuit is located between the upper receiving space and thelower receiving space.
 7. The switch cabinet of claim 3 wherein theseparating wall in the first and second ventilation chambers is locatedin the area of the condenser of the outer circuit.
 8. The switch cabinetof claim 1 wherein:the fan of the outer circuit is located directly overthe condenser of the outer circuit; and the air inlet perforation in theseparating sheets of the first and the second ventilation chambers islocated above the fan of the outer circuit.